IAF to begin fresh hunt for mid-air refuelling aircraft

NEW DELHI: After two failed attempts to induct new tankers during the last 12 years, the Indian Air Force is (IAF) preparing to begin a fresh hunt for newgeneration mid-air refuelling planes to extend the reach of its fighter jets, two senior IAF officers said on condition of anonymity on Wednesday.

The official process to buy tankers is expected to begin within two months with the IAF seeking acceptance of necessity (AoN) from the Defence Acquisition Council --- the defence ministry’s apex procurement body --- to take the proposal forward, said one of the officers cited above.

Under India’s defence procurement rules, the AoN by the council (headed by the defence minister) is the first step towards buying a weapon or platform. “We plan to seek the AoN for six new tankers in November-December. It will clear the way for sending request for proposals (RFPs) to foreign military contractors,” the second officer said. The refuellers could cost more than $2 billion.

The IAF currently operates a fleet of six Russian-origin Ilyushin-78 tankers that are plagued by maintenance problems and more refuellers are required to stay prepared to counter China in the eastern sector. According to an August 2017 Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report, the desired serviceability of the Il-78 fleet should be 70% by IAF’s own standards but it stood at 49% during 2010-16 --- barely half of the planes were available for missions at any given time.

Experts said it was imperative for the IAF to strengthen its refuelling capabilities to allow fighter jets to stay airborne longer. “Flight refuelling aircraft are vital combat enablers. The IAF has just six, and two previous attempts at procurement faltered due to lack of funds...,” said Air Vice Marshal (retd) Manmohan Bahadur.